Zahid says UMNO is determined to fight for Najib

Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party remained resolute in fighting for its jailed former leader Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

(New Standard Time) – “If anyone still doubts our commitment, I want to assure you that the party will remain steadfast in its fight for Najib’s fate and our efforts will never stop,” Zahid said in his speech at the 2024 Umno General Assembly today.

Zahid said although some people had questioned the affidavits he and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdee Wan Ismail submitted on the so-called supplementary order by the former king to allow Najib to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest, they were not bound by anything.

“We will not stop until our boss (Najib) gets justice,” he said.

Earlier, Zahid, who is also the deputy prime minister, confirmed the existence of the so-called addendum order in an affidavit.

He claimed that former Selangor Umno treasurer Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz showed him the document on Jan 30 at his home near Greenfields Hills.

On Jan 29, former Pekan MP Najib applied to compel the government to produce the document, which he said has not been disclosed by the authorities.

He listed the Home Minister, Director General of Prisons, Attorney General, Federal Territories Pardons Board, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms), Director General of the Legal Affairs Department and the government as respondents.

Najib was initially sentenced to 12 years’ jail and fined RM210 million after being found guilty of misappropriating RM42 million of SRC International funds.

The former prime minister is currently serving his sentence in Kajang Prison.

Earlier this year, the Federal Territories Pardons Board, chaired by the then king Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ri’ayatuddin Mustafa Billasa halved Najib’s jail term and reduced his fine to RM50 million.

Najib has appealed to serve out the remainder of his term Six years of house arrest, and cited a supplementary royal order allegedly signed by the former king allowing him to do so.